TOUGH NEWS.

Northern Ireland Takes Shaky Step Toward Peace

After 25 years of violence, there is shaky peace in war-torn Northern Ireland. The question now is: How long will it last?

The Irish Republican Army (IRA) agreed to stop fighting with Britain in a civil war that has cost more than 3,100 people their lives.

Put simply, the fighting in Northern Ireland is about this: The Protestant majority in the British province wants to stay united with Britain; the mostly Roman Catholic minority wants to be united with the rest of Ireland, which is mostly Catholic and not tied to Britain. Members of the IRA are part of this minority, and they use violent tactics, from bombings to other bloodshed, to get their point across.

The cease-fire was worked out between Catholic leaders, the British and Irish governments, and the IRA. They are working toward peace talks, but a lot has to happen. The IRA wants the gradual withdrawal of the 18,000 British soldiers in Northern Ireland. Britain and Ireland are calling for a permanent end to IRA violence.

Meanwhile, violence by extremist groups threatened the cease-fire.

"This struggle is not over. This struggle is into a new phase," said Gerry Adams. He's the president of Sinn Fein, the political party that's an ally of the IRA.

The Clinton administration says that if the cease-fire holds, the U.S. would likely increase financial aid.